Surviving twin to return home

London - The parents of the surviving conjoined twin, Jodie, could be allowed to take her to their home on the Maltese island…

London - The parents of the surviving conjoined twin, Jodie, could be allowed to take her to their home on the Maltese island of Gozo within a few weeks, it emerged yesterday, writes Rachel Donnelly.

Doctors at St Mary's Hospital in Manchester are pleased with her progress and believe she could be strong enough to return home in a matter of "weeks rather than months", a spokeswoman said. A discharge date has not yet been set but officials believe she could return home in the next two weeks.

Jodie was separated from her twin sister, Mary, in a 20hour operation at the hospital last November. The eight-month-old's parents, Michaelangelo and Rina Attard, had opposed the operation on religious grounds. However, doctors argued that both girls would die if they were not separated and carried out the operation following a legal ruling.